A Study in Canter

Jumping back into some low key lessons has re-ignited a passion for learning an improving with my horse that I haven't felt in a LONG time. I've taken lessons here and there over the past few years, but horse stuff has been back burnered for me for a bit. I scaled spending way back, focused on some other passions closer to home, and have been comfortable knowing that I could hop on and toodle around at any time.

and yes i rode her bareback after this

My basic philosophy of training is that I need to be calm, clear, and kind. I'm asking Zoe to do all the same things she used to do in dressage, but now I want her to do it in self carriage on a loose rein. I want her to be in a level balance, soft to me, and for her to allow me to ride her forward in that balance. 
 

ok but these reins amiright

We use lots of transitions and very clear rewards. If she does something right, it's a release and relax reward. I don't drill. I try not to ride in the arena two days in a row. I'm still only riding 3-4 days a week. I've made huge strides forward in the walk/trot area but we've been struggling with the canter. 

this day was SO COLD OMG

It's a two part issue--one, ZB is a natural trotting horse. Her canter is less organized and requires more strength to give me the same level of work I get in the trot.

Two--me. I don't think I've actually ever had a horse that would let me sit in the saddle and ride the canter. There's lots of half seat in my past with a HEALTHY dose of TB/OTTB type horses to whom cantering was the more natural gait, which means I've never really had to train it. 

I can do a lot with a balanced canter but I was kind of lost on how to create said canter if I didn't already have it. 

benefits of blogging infrequently means more riding pictures to choose from

So how do I train a balanced, soft canter on a horse it isn't instinctive to when my riding is one of the biggest obstacles we face?

this horse is so insanely gorgeous

Very mindfully.

I started using the round pen on the property. Every time I was at the barn, I'd take her in there loose and ask her to do a couple of canter transitions each way. I didn't drill it--it was a-ok if she picked up the canter for a stride or two and dropped back down. I just wanted her doing the motion and building the muscle memory. The whole "session" was about 60 seconds or less and typically included rolling in the sand as well. 

it's lovely sand

Her muscle memory wasn't the only one I needed to retrain. I was/am dealing with two things:

1) my lack of muscle memory related to sitting the canter with my seat in the saddle being neutral

2) my bad muscle memory of grabbing like a deranged monkey when my horse feels off balance

I'm working on my own and if thinking really loudly "stop sucking at riding the canter" was an effective strategy, I would have fixed this ages ago. 

Instead, I used the round pen. I'd saddle up, take her in there, and get on with just the halter. This was such a mental thing for me--the round pen took away the deep and irrational fear of her bolting into the next county and the halter gave me an E-brake without me fussing with her face.

Same strategy--do 2 transitions each way, then hop off and go do something else.

don't have a halter picture so here's the current 'fit

Here and there, I started trying to incorporate the transitions into longer rides, but my gut reaction to her sort of "lurch" into the canter was to grab her and then neither of us was having a good time. 

But then.

I having a nice ride the other day in the arena and for a moment, I felt so soft and connected, like I could have rolled up into the soft, balanced canter I wanted right there. I didn't, but the feeling was right.

The next time I rode, my friend happened to be out and I asked her for some quick media.

Y'all. 

just literal heart eyes

It's coming. She was soft and connected and balanced and let me ride her forward. 

This is so much fun.